Artificial Intelligence to identify individual birds of same species


Date:
July 27, 2020
Source:
CNRS
Summary:
Humans have a hard time identifying individual birds just by
looking at the patterns on their plumage. An international study
has now shown how computers can learn to differentiate individual
birds of a same species.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Humans have a hard time identifying individual birds just by looking
at the patterns on their plumage. An international study involving
scientists form the CNRS, Universite' de Montpellier and the University
of Porto in Portugal, among others, has shown how computers can learn
to differentiate individual birds of a same species. The results are
published on 27 July 2020 in Methods in Ecology and Evolution.


========================================================================== Differentiating between individuals of a same species is essential
in the study of wild animals, their processes of adaptation and
behaviour. Scientists from the CEFE research centre in Ecology and
Evolutionary Ecology (CNRS/ Universite' de Montpellier/ Universite' Paul-Vale'ry-Montpellier/ IRD/ EPHE) and the Research Centre in
Biodiversity and Genetic Resources (CIBIO) at Porto University have
for the very first time identified individual birds with the help of
artificial intelligence technology.

They have developed a technique that enables them to gather a large
number of photographs, taken from various angles, of individual birds
wearing electronic tags. These images were fed into computers which
used deep learning technology to recognise the birds by analysing the photographs. The computers were able to distinguish individual birds
according to the patterns on their plumage, something humans can't
do. The technology was able to identify specimens from populations of
three different species: sociable weavers, great tits and zebra finches.

This new technique could not only result in a less invasive method of identification but also lead to new insights in ecology, for example,
by opening ways of using AI to study animal behaviour in the wild.


========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by CNRS. Note: Content may be edited
for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Andre' C. Ferreira, Liliana R. Silva, Francesco Renna, Hanja
B. Brandl,
Julien P. Renoult, Damien R. Farine, Rita Covas, Claire
Doutrelant. Deep learning‐based methods for individual
recognition in small birds.

Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 2020; DOI: 10.1111/2041-210X.13436 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/07/200727114745.htm

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